Adjacent Words

Moth definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

MOTH, n.
1. An animal of the genus Phalaena, which breeds in yard and garments, and often does injury by eating the substance and destroying the texture. Matthew 6.
The name is also applied to the whole genus.
2. Figuratively, that which gradually and silently eats, consumes or wastes any thing. Idle persons are a moth to the community.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: typically crepuscular or nocturnal insect having a stout body and feathery or hairlike antennae

Merriam Webster's

noun (plural moths) Etymology: Middle English mothe, from Old English moththe; akin to Middle High German motte moth Date: before 12th century 1. clothes moth 2. any of various usually nocturnal lepidopteran insects with antennae that are often feathery, with a stouter body, duller coloring, and proportionately smaller wings than the butterflies, and with larvae that are plant-eating caterpillars • mothlike adjective • mothy adjective

Britannica Concise

Any of several thousand lepidopteran species; found in all but polar habitats. Moths are chiefly nocturnal and have a stouter body, duller coloring, and proportionately smaller wings than butterflies. They have distinctive feathery antennae and, when at rest, fold their wings, wrap them around the body, or hold them extended at their sides. Wingspans range from less than an inch to about 1 ft (30 cm). The life cycle has four stages: egg, larva (caterpillar, or worm), pupa (chrysalis), and adult (imago). Both larvae and adults of most species are plant eaters, and many seriously damage forests, agricultural crops, and fabrics. See also bagworm moth, gypsy moth, hawk moth, luna moth, miller, saturniid moth, silkworm moth, tiger moth, tussock moth.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 any usu. nocturnal insect of the order Lepidoptera excluding butterflies, having a stout body and without clubbed antennae. 2 any small lepidopterous insect of the family Tineidae breeding in cloth etc., on which its larva feeds. Phrases and idioms: moth-eaten 1 damaged or destroyed by moths. 2 antiquated, time-worn. Etymology: OE moththe

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Moth Moth (m[o^]th), n. A mote. [Obs.] --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Moth Moth, n.; pl. Moths (m[o^]thz). [OE. mothe, AS. mo[eth][eth]e; akin to D. mot, G. motte, Icel. motti, and prob. to E. mad an earthworm. Cf. Mad, n., Mawk.] 1. (Zo["o]l.) Any nocturnal lepidopterous insect, or any not included among the butterflies; as, the luna moth; Io moth; hawk moth. 2. (Zo["o]l.) Any lepidopterous insect that feeds upon garments, grain, etc.; as, the clothes moth; grain moth; bee moth. See these terms under Clothes, Grain, etc. 3. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of various other insects that destroy woolen and fur goods, etc., esp. the larv[ae] of several species of beetles of the genera Dermestes and Anthrenus. Carpet moths are often the larv[ae] of Anthrenus. See Carpet beetle, under Carpet, Dermestes, Anthrenus. 4. Anything which gradually and silently eats, consumes, or wastes any other thing. Moth blight (Zo["o]l.), any plant louse of the genus Aleurodes, and related genera. They are injurious to various plants. Moth gnat (Zo["o]l.), a dipterous insect of the genus Bychoda, having fringed wings. Moth hunter (Zo["o]l.), the goatsucker. Moth miller (Zo["o]l.), a clothes moth. See Miller, 3, (a) . Moth mullein (Bot.), a common herb of the genus Verbascum (V. Blattaria), having large wheel-shaped yellow or whitish flowers.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(moths) A moth is an insect like a butterfly which usually flies about at night. N-COUNT

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Heb. 'ash, from a root meaning "to fall away," as moth-eaten garments fall to pieces (Job 4:19; 13:28; Isa. 50:9; 51:8; Hos. 5:12).

Gr. ses, thus rendered in Matt. 6:19, 20; Luke 12:33. Allusion is thus made to the destruction of clothing by the larvae of the clothes-moth. This is the only lepidopterous insect referred to in Scripture.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

moth (`ash; compare Arabic `uththat, "moth"; colloquial, `itt; cac, "worm" (Isa 51:8); compare Arabic sus, "worm," especially an insect larva in flesh, wood or grain; ses, "moth" (Mt 6:19,20; Lu 12:33); setobrotos, "moth-eaten" (Jas 5:2)):

The moths constitute the larger division of the order Lepidoptera. Two of the points by which they are distinguished from butterflies are that they are generally nocturnal and that their antennae are not club-shaped. Further, the larva in many cases spins a cocoon for the protection of the pupa or chrysalis, which is never the case with butterflies. The Biblical references are to the clothes-moth, i.e. various species of the genus Tinea, tiny insects which lay their eggs in woolen clothes, upon which the larvae later feed. As the larva feeds it makes a cocoon of its silk together with fibers of the cloth on which it is feeding, so that the color of the cocoon depends upon the color of the fabric. The adult is only indirectly harmful, as it is only in the larval stage that the insect injures clothing. Therefore in Isa 51:8, "For the moth (`ash) shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm (cac) shall eat them like wool," both words must refer to the larva, the distich demanding such a word as cac to balance `ash in the first half. The word "moth" occurs 7 times in the Old Testament, in Job, Psalms, Isaiah and Hosea, always in figurative expressions, typifying either that which is destructive (Job 13:28; Ps 39:11; Isa 50:9; 51:8; Ho 5:12) or that which is frail (Job 4:19; 27:18).

See INSECTS.

Alfred Ely Day

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. (Ent.) Miller.

Foolish Dictionary

An unfortunate acquaintance who is always in the hole. And the only ones who try to get him out are his enemies.